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Ann Marie Brink - Viola

Associate principal viola of the Dallas Symphony since 1999, Ann Marie Brink is adjunct associate professor of viola at Southern Methodist University, adjunct professor of instrumental studies at the University of North Texas, and teaches at Wintergreen Summer Music Academy, Nellysford, Va.

Brink has performed in solo and chamber music recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Aspen Music Festival, Library of Congress, Sarasota Music Festival, Severance Hall, Rockport Music Festival, Banff Centre for the Arts, Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Rockport Music Festival, and Alice Tully Hall. An avid chamber musician, Brink’s performances with the Amernet String Quartet were praised by The New York Times as “an accomplished and intelligent ensemble. Their fine performances were most notable for the quality of unjaded discovery that came through so vividly.” She has coached and performed in residencies for Chamber Music America with the Cavani String Quartet, has twice been a fellow at the Aspen Center for Advanced Quartet Studies and was invited by Isaac Stern to participate in his Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall. First-prize winner in both the Nakamichi Foundation Concerto competition at the Aspen Music festival and the Darius Milhaud Performance Prize Auditions, she was also a prize winner at the Carmel Chamber Music Competition.

First introduced to the viola at the age of ten in a public school strings class, Brink became one of the youngest members of the Pensacola Symphony, performing in the viola section while a freshman in high school. She later enrolled at Interlochen Arts Academy, where she was a featured soloist with the World Youth Symphony, received a Fine Arts Award and graduated with high honors. Brink received her Bachelor of Music with academic honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and was awarded the Jim Hall prize for achievement and leadership in music. She received her Master of Music from the Juilliard School, where she was awarded the prestigious William Schuman Prize, the single graduate prize given at commencement exercises. Her principal teachers were Karen Tuttle, Heidi Castleman and David Holland, and her chamber music mentors include the Emerson, Juilliard, Cleveland, Orion, and Cavani String Quartets. Brink has served on the faculties of Baylor University, Interlochen Arts Camp, Hot Springs Music Festival, Music in the Mountains Conservatory, Dallas Symphony Young Strings and The Institute for Strings.

When not playing the viola, she can be found in the kitchen, at the pool or lacing up a pair of running shoes. A frequent traveler to Europe, she has studied and performed traditional Irish music in County Kerry, Ireland, and has studied at the Apicius Culinary Institute in Florence, Italy. A U.S. Master’s swimmer since 2001, Brink has twice completed the 10-mile Maui Channel Swim, the only inter-island relay race in the world. She has run numerous marathons including Boston, New York, Marine Corps and Dallas.

Brink has served as a court appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system in Dallas since 2012.

Martin Beaver - Violin
Martin Beaver is the recipient of the Canada Council's prestigious Virginia Parker Award, received top prizes at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, the 1990 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, and the 1991 Montreal International Music Competition.

Jeff Bradetich - Doublebass
Double bass professor at the University of North Texas and can be heard on numerous award-winning recording labels.

Associate principal viola of the Dallas Symphony since 1999, Ann Marie Brink is adjunct associate professor of viola at Southern Methodist University, adjunct professor of instrumental studies at the University of North Texas, and teaches at Wintergreen Summer Music Academy, Nellysford, Va.

Jesús Castro-Balbi - Cello
Winner of First Prize at the First Carlos Prieto Latin American Cello Competition in Mexico; the Aldo Parisot Prize at Yale; and the Schwartz Foundation - Salon de Virtuosi Award in New York City.

David Chan - Violin
Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and top prize winner of the Tchaikovsky International Competition at the age of 17.

Zakarias Grafilo joined the Alexander String Quartet in July 2002. Just prior to joining the ASQ, he served as Principal Second Violinist of the Pacific Symphony, and Concertmaster of the Stockton Symphony.

Clive Greensmith - Cello
First Prize Winner in the Sergio Lorenzi chamber music competition in Trieste, Italy, and First Prize Winner in the Caltanisetta Duo competition.

Stephanie Jeong - Violin
Associate Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and recipient of the Best Paginini Concerto Prize of the Paganini Violin Competition in Italy.

Clara-Jumi Kang - Violin
Winner of the 2010 Gold Medal at the 8th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis where she also won five additional special prizes.

Sarah Kapustin - Violin
Prizewinner in many competitions and distinguished soloist and chamber musician and member of the Atlas Piano Trio.

Barnabás Kelemen - Violin
Barnabás Kelemens performances at the 2002 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) radiated such charisma that one could almost forget that anyone else had come before.

Alex Kerr - Violin
Concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Violin at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

Jeanne Kierman - Piano
Jeanne Kierman Fischer specializes in contemporary American piano music and has presented solo recitals in Africa and North America. As a chamber musician, she appears regularly at festivals such as Tanglewood, Da Camera of Houston, Mohawk Trail concerts, Chamber Music Ann Arbor, Maverick concerts and Juneau Jazz and Classics. Formerly on the faculties of Dartmouth College and the Oberlin Conservatory, Ms. Kierman toured extensively under sponsorship by the New England Foundation for the Arts and the Vermont & Ohio Arts Councils.

Frederick Lifsitz studied violin in his native Boston with Marylou Churchill and at Indiana University with Paul Biss. As a member of the Alexander String Quartet he has performed throughout Europe and North America, appearing regularly at halls such as Amsterdam's Concertebouw and New York City's Lincoln Center.

Leslie Massenburg - Bassoon
Leslie Massenburg began her musical studies with piano at the age of 5. She started playing the bassoon in 1995 and continued to Baylor University for her undergraduate degree in bassoon performance and piano pedagogy. She furthered her bassoon studies with a masters degree from Southern Methodist University and three years at the Aspen Summer Music Festival.

A leading soloist and chamber musician, Mr. Mutuzkin has performed with major orchestras in Italy, Spain, Norway, and England as well as throughout his native Russia. In 2012, he made his debut appearance in the United States when he performed in NYC’s Lincoln Center in a flute quartet with members of the Metropolitan Opera. Maintaining an active performing and teaching career, Ivan is also the author of a book entitled "Experimental Flute in Twentieth Century Music" (based on examples of compositions for solo flute by foreign composers).

Ayano Ninomiya - Violin
Winner of the Naumburg International Violin Competition, the Tibor Varga International Competition, Astral Artists National Auditions, and the Young Performers Career Advancement Award (APAP).

Felix Olschofka - Violin
Winner of two 1st prizes in the prestigious German Youth Music Competition, 2nd prize of the International Chamber Music Competition Charles Hennen in the Netherlands.

Eugene Osadchy - Cello
Associate Professor of Cello at the University of North Texas; Performs in music festivals throughout the USA and Canada

George Papich - Viola
Director of Chamber Music at the University of North Texas and distinguished violist.

Jon Kimura Parker - Piano
Internationally acclaimed concert pianist and Professor of Piano at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston

Cynthia Phelps - Viola
Cynthia Phelps has been principal violist with the New York Philharmonic since 1992. Her solo appearances with the orchestra have included performances on the 2006 Tour of Italy and the 1999 premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Two Paths, which the Philharmonic commissioned for her and the orchestra's associate principal violist Rebecca Young. Other solo engagements have included the Minnesota Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao.

Timothy Pitts - Doublebass
Internationally known double bassist and Professor of Double Bass at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music.

Joshua Roman - Cello
Dubbed a Classical Rock Star, Joshua Roman has earned a reputation for performing a wide range of repertoire with a commitment to communicating the essence of the music at its most organic level.

Gustavo Romero - Piano
Gold Medallist of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Switzerland; Professor of Piano at the University of North Texas

Nathaniel Rosen - Cello
Gold Medallist of the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow and highly distinguished concert and recording artist.

James Ryon has appeared as recitalist and soloist in the United States, South & Central America and the Middle East. He currently is Professor of Oboe at the University of North Texas College of Music and he serves as the Principal Oboist of the Baton Rouge Symphony. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the Juilliard School and has received performance fellowships at the Aspen, Berkshire, Blossom, Kneisel Hall and New College Music Festivals. His principal teachers are Robert Bloom and John Mack.

The Zorá String Quartet - Various
Winner of Grand Prize and Gold Medal of the 2015 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the 2015 Coleman National Chamber Music Competition in California, and the 2015 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, where they were also awarded the Sander Buchman Award.

Satoshi Takeishi - Percussion
A drummer, percussionist, and an arranger from Mito, Japan, moved to Colombia to learn more about the South American tango music after graduating from the Berklee School of Music

Michael Tree - Viola
One of the most widely recorded musicians in America and founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet.

A native of Northumberland, England, Sandy Wilson completed his graduate studies at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen as a recipient of two Danish Government Scholarships and the Sophus Berendsen Award.

Katie is currently Principal Horn of both The Dallas Opera and the Dallas Chamber Symphony, and she also frequently plays as a substitute or extra horn with the Dallas Symphony and Fort Worth Symphony. Prior to becoming Principal Horn for the opera, she was Third Horn from 2014-2017.

Qian Wu - Piano
Qian Wu, founding member of the Sitkovetshy Trio, was awarded the 1st prize at the Trio di Trieste Duo Competition with Alexander Sitkovetsy in 2011.

Paul Yarbrough, violist, is a native of Clearwater, Florida, and a founding member of the Alexander String Quartet. Mr. Yarbrough's teachers have included Elaine Lee Richey, Lillian Fuchs, Raymond Page, and Sally Peck.

John Bruce Yeh - Clarinet
A prizewinner at both the 1982 Munich International Music Competition and the 1985 Naumburg Clarinet Competition in New York

Phillip Ying - Viola
Recipient of the Naumburg Award for Chamber Music, has won a Grammy for a collaborative recording with the Turtle Island String Quartet, and has been nominated three additional times, most recently for a collaborative album with pianist, Billy Childs.

Zhang Zuo - Piano
Winner of the coveted Petschek Piano Award at The Juilliard School. She was awarded first prizes at China's 1st International Piano Concerto Competition, the Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition in America, and the Krainev International Piano Competition in Ukraine; she was also a prizewinner at the 2013 Queen Elizabeth Competition.